Senior Programs
MIFA’s senior programs are designed to promote independence, health, and dignity. Through daily nutrition and fellowship with volunteers, our programs help seniors continue living in their homes, while advocacy continues to support them when they move into care homes.
With the help of volunteers, MIFA Meals on Wheels provides nutritious lunches for seniors in their homes and at congregate meal sites.
Eligibility
Home-delivered meal recipients are Shelby County seniors (age 60 and over) who are nutritionally at-risk and frail, homebound, or disabled. Congregate meal recipients are Shelby County residents over age 60 or under 60 and disabled.
To be screened for eligibility for Meals on Wheels, call the Aging Commission of the Mid-South at (901) 222-4111. To apply for congregate meals, complete an application in person at the site nearest you. Congregate sites are listed here.
Impact
In FY23, MIFA Meals on Wheels served 737,866 meals to 4,418 seniors; of those clients, 3,140 received home-delivered meals and 1,310 were served at congregate sites.
Surveyed clients reported the following: 95.52% eat healthier foods as a result of the program, 90.62% believe the program helps them feel better, and 89.51% of home-delivered meal recipients believe the program helps them continue living in their own homes.
Volunteer
Click here to learn about volunteering for MIFA Meals on Wheels.
Contact Us
Tonya Bradley Parker, Vice President of Meals on Wheels | [email protected] | (901) 529-4520
Marcie Lynne Williams, Engagement Volunteer Specialist | [email protected] | (901) 529-4521
MIFA's Long-Term Care Ombudsman program advocates for residents of long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, and residential care homes. Through regular visits by staff and specially trained volunteers, the program investigates and mediates complaints, monitors residents’ care and quality of life, and provides public education for clients and their families.
Eligibility
Clients must be residents or potential residents of nursing homes, assisted living care facilities, or homes for the aged in Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, or Lauderdale County.
Impact
In FY23, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program’s two staff members and 17 volunteers completed 376 volunteer hours while providing advocacy for the care and dignity of seniors living in local facilities; they provided complaint resolution for 227 individuals.
Volunteer
Trained Ombudsman volunteers pay regular visits to facilities, where they spend time with residents, monitor conditions, investigate complaints, and protect residents’ rights.
Volunteers must be 21 years of age with no conflicts of interest, provide references, submit to a background check, and complete an interview. Thirty-six hours of training and certification are required before a volunteer may visit residents. Volunteers must be willing and able to commit to the program for a minimum of one year, visiting residents weekly and working to resolve conflicts within nursing homes and care facilities.
Click here to learn more about becoming a volunteer.
Contact Us
Zev Samuels, District Ombudsman | [email protected] | (901) 529-4565
Wendy Jackson, Ombudsman Field & Volunteer Coordinator | [email protected]
For information on becoming a volunteer, click here.
Carlos Royston, Ombudsman Field Coordinator | [email protected] | (901) 529-4562
